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T RA Em B Tu MB MY An ...u GG 0.8 n.. d o M 0 m No. 421,857. PatentedPeb'. 18, 1890.

(N Model.) j 4 2 sheets-sheet 2. C. CHAMBERS, J1. CLAY ELEVATOR PatentedPeb. 18,1890.-

WITN ESSES z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS CHAMBERS, JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THECHAMBERS BROTHERS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

cLAY-LEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,857, dated February1.8, 1890.

Application filed March 31, 1887. I Serial No. 233,139.Y (No model.)

To @ZZ wiz/m it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYEUs CHAMBERs,-Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inClay-Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, 'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, ofwhichj Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a plan with elevator-beltremoved and lower end of hopper broken off; Fig. 3an end view of thelower part; Fig. 4, a sectional elevation of the lower or hopper end(enlarged from Fig. 1;) Fig. 5, a section, as on line c1, b, Figs. l and4, looking toward the pulley; Fig. 6, a longitudinal section of one ofthe belt-supporting roller-boxes with journal and end of roller; Fig. 7,a plan of said box detached; Fig. 8, an end elevation of the same; Fig.9, an end ele-` vation of one of the return-belt roller-boXes,`

Fig. l0, a section thereof with journal and part of end of roller; Fig.ll, a section, as on line c d, Fig. l.

My invention relates to that class of elevators for conveying claywherein an endless belt or apron is mounted in an inclined frame, withsuitable `mechanism for driving' said apron. i

The improvements consist as follows: First, in the combination, with thesupporting-frame and the belt, of side'boards along the top of saidframe, which boards are above the belt and inclined inwardly, so as toretain the clay frame and belt, of concaved supporting-rollers beneaththe latter for allowing thetransverse sagging of the belt and therebydirecting the lumps of clay toward the middle line of the belt; thirdly,in the combination, with said frame and belt and conoaved rollers, ofthe aforesaid inclined side boards; fourthly, in the combination, withsaid frame and belt, of a hopper over the lower end ofthe apron, madenarrower at the top than at the bottom, so as' to throw the large lumpsof clay toward the middle of the belt and to allow the smaller lumps tofall toward the outer edge, 5`o thereby tendin gto prevent the largerlumps from rolling off the belt after passing out from beneath thehopper; iifthly, in acombined pulley-scraper and belt-cleaner adaptedand arranged to clear the pulleys of clay or dirt and to keep clear thereturn part of the belt which comes neXt the pulleys; sixthly, in animproved construction of the boxes in which the rollers for supportingsaid belt and the rollers which support the return part thereof arejournaled. 6o

Referring to the annexed drawings, A, Figs. l and 2, marks the inclinedlongitudi-nal supporting-frame, the lower or hopper end of whicliisusually located in a pit P, sunk below the surface of the floor p', forconvenience 65 of dumping or shovelingclay into the hopper, while theupper end is located over the hopper M, Fig. l, ofthe'brick-machine-such, for example, as the well-known Chambersbrick-machine, described in several United 7o States Letters Patentgranted to me.

B is the endless belt or apron, which runs over the pulley C (which runsin pit P) and pulley C', j ournaled at the respective ends of the frame,and which belt is supported by the rollers D and the underneath orreturn part thereof by rollers E. The belt is driven from Va pulley F onshaft f, having thereon a bevel-pinion f2, gearing with a bevel-wheel f3on the shaftof the upper pulley C. cured to the sidesof the frame A, atthe lower end of the same, over the belt, is a hopper G, which is widerat the bottom, .ad--l jacent to the belt, than at the top, as clearlyshown in Figs, 2, 3, and 5. This hopper is for the reception of the clayto be carried up to the hopper of the brick-machine upon the endlessbelt, and, owing to the inclination of the sides, the larger lumps ofclay, striking or bearing against the same, are caused to 9o keep to themiddle portion of the belt, while the small lumps fall toward the edge,and thus aid in retaining the larger lumps in place-that is, preventthem from rolling off after leaving the hopper. The lower end of thehopper is provided with a hinged door X, which, when closed, keeps theclay from falling down las it is dumped into the hopper, but which isopened in order to allow any clay that has fallen or has been dumpedinto roo l the said pit to be readily shoveled from-the latter onto themoving belt. The mass or line of clay is held in place and the main body.thereof toward the middle, as the belt advances, by means ofinwardly-inclined side boards I-I, extending above the belt, their loweredges being close to the edges of the latter, as seen more clearly inFig. ll. These side boards are secured to the ends, which overhang theside rails of the frame A, of brackets I, that are fastened to theoutside of said rails, whereby a space s, Figs. 3, 5, and l1, is left toallow lateral shifting ot the belt without the edge of the latter cominginto contact with said brackets or the lower edge of the side boards. Inorder to still further cause the lumps of clay to tend toward the middleline of ,the belt, I make the supporting-rollers D concave, as seen inFigs. 2, 5, and 1.1. The boxes K, in which these rollers are journaled,are constructed as follows, particular reference being had to Figs. 7and 8. The box is made in one piece and its outer end is closed, and itis provided with an oil-cup 7.a and lid 7a2., near the closed end, asshown. The box is also `provided with downwardly-projecting'lugs orflanges 7a3, in order to secure ready and proper adjustment of the boxon the top of the frame. It is also provided with slots 7a4, throughwhich the bolts pass that hold the box to the frame, and whereby theboxes may be readily adjusted longitudinally, so as to bring the rollersin line properly with relation to the belt. 'On 4the upper side of thebox, on its inner edge, is aprojecting flange 105, or what I term adirt-band, whose function is to protect the journals of the rollers andto keep the dirt from working into the. bearings. This box, with theclosed end and oil-cup near the same, is particu-- larly well adaptedfor use where considerable dirt and clay are iioating about, as isthecase when a brick-machine is in operation.

The boxes K for the ret'urn-rollersE (shown in Figs. 5 and 6) embody aconstruction similar to that of the boxes for the supportingrollers justdescribed, the difference being v only` such as is required by thedifference in location. The former have the closed ends, oil-cup, andlid, lugs for adjusting the box to the side of the rails, and the slotsfor longi- `tudinal adjustment. Y l

As the face of the lower belt-pulley C is 5 pt to gather bits of claythereon, as also the return part of said belt which comes against thepulley, I provide an efficient device for cleaning the same, which maybe termed a duplex cleaner, and which I shall now describe. It consistsof a bar or bracket-piece L, secured to the under side of the side railsA. From the upper side of this piece projects a scraper N, inclinedvfrom the middle outwardly, with the edge bearing against or close tothe periphery of the pulley C. The clay, dac., scraped from the latterfalls away on the inclines, outside of the edge of the belt underneath.Projecting from the under side of thebar L is another V-shaped scraperor plough O, as broad or broader than the belt, whose edge just clearsthe upper side of the belt, its point extending back to meet the forwardmotion of the latter. It thrusts ott the clay, ac., from the belt, andby reason of its V shape and width the clay thus removed is forced outbeyond the edge of the belt.

I remark that I sometimes dispense with the inclined side boards I-I andrely upon the concavity of the rollers to retain the clay in place.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and wish to secure byLetters Patent- 1. In an elevator for clay or other substances, thecombination, with an endless carrier and its frame, of incline`d sideboards running parallel with said carrierV and converging above thesame, substantially as described.

2. In an elevator for4 clay or other substances, the combination, withan endless carrier, of concave supportingrollers and inclined sideboards running parallel with said carrier and converging above the same,substantially as described.

3. In an elevator for clay or lother substances, the combination, withan endless carrier, of a hopper larger yat the bottom than at the toplocated above said carrier, substanmuy as described 4. In an elevatorfor clay or other substances, the combination, with anl endlesscarrienof a hopper located over said carrier,

,said hopper having upwardly-converging sides, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

5. In an elevator forl clay or other substances, the combination, withan endless carrier, of a hopper located over said carrier, said hopperhaving upwardly converging sides and being provided with a door 'nearits lower extremity, substantially as described.

6. In combinationwith the pulley@ and the belt B, the angularscraper andreturnbelt cleaner, constructed, arranged, and adaptedto operatesubstantially as 'described 7. In a clay-elevator, the combination, withthe endless belt and its supporting-rollers, of a cleaner provided withduplex edges adapted to engage" the belt and one of said rollers,respectively, substantially as described.

8. In a clay-elevator, the combination, with an endless belt and itssupporting-roller, of a cleaner provided with a rigid belt-'engagingedge, a portion of said cleaner engaging said belt being in advance ofother portions, s ubstantiallyv as described.'

9. In aclay-elevator, the combination, with the endless belt and meansfor supporting and operating the same, of a cleaner providd with a rigidV-shaped edge adapted to engage the said belt, substantially' 'asdescribed.l

10. In a clay-elevator, the combination, with IIO Agaging the face ofone of said shapedcleaner secured to'said bracket and engaging saidbelt, and another V-shaped cleaner extending from said bracket andenpnlleys, substantially as described. f

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed niy signature this 28th dayof March, A. D. 1887.

CYRUS CHAMBERS, JR.

Witnesses H.`LAUssAT GEYELIN, JN0. NOLAN.

